The National Cybersecurity Agency of Slovakia (NBU) has discovered hidden threats in NERO R-ONE speed cameras. As it turned out during the investigation, these devices are just a renamed version of the Russian Cordon.Pro.M complexes, which are manufactured in St. Petersburg.
The National Cybersecurity Agency of Slovakia (NBU) has discovered hidden threats in NERO R-ONE speed cameras. As it turned out during the investigation, these devices are just a renamed version of the Russian Cordon.Pro.M complexes, which are manufactured in St. Petersburg.
Inside the devices, an undocumented module was found tied to 12 Russian phone numbers (from St. Petersburg and the Kemerovo region, Cybernews reports .
By sending a special SMS message from these numbers along with a password, attackers can gain full remote control over the camera and execute arbitrary malicious code on it.
The device management web portal has critical vulnerabilities, and anyone can watch live video from cameras with just the IP address — even without entering a password.
The cameras were purchased through a direct procedure without a tender through the Cypriot company Sodasus with forged certificates. After media coverage and a request from the opposition party Progressive Slovakia, the NBU investigation became public.
Political scandal and threats The Slovak Ministry of Internal Affairs initially categorically denied the Russian origin of the equipment and the risk of data leakage. However, experts emphasize: this is a classic example of Russia's use of civilian technology for espionage. Analysts recall that Russia actively used similar access to surveillance cameras in Ukraine to adjust and assess the consequences of its missile strikes.
The deployment of these systems in Slovakia is currently on hold. The opposition is demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Matusz Šutaj Eštok. However, Prime Minister Robert Fico, known for his loyal stance towards the Kremlin, has said that he does not see these cameras as a threat to the country's security.
